The die-hard baseball fans who plan to spend eternity supporting their teams

By DANNY GRIFFITHS

Last updated at 10:10 19 October 2006

Baseball fans claim their will support their team until the die - now they can follow their team from beyond the grave.

Starting next season, fans of the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will be able to have their team colours and insignia emblazoned on their coffin or urn.

Major League Baseball has struck a licensing agreement with Eternal Image, which hopes to eventually make urns and caskets for all 30 teams.

The company also hopes to have similar agreements with NASCAR, the NHL and the NFL.

Eternal Image, based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, also makes a line of Vatican-themed products.

Chief executive Clint Mytych said: "We wanted to break into a sports venue of some kind and baseball is the all-American sport."

He said he has received at least 1,000 inquiries since June. MLB spokeswoman Susan Goodenow said the league and clubs have received requests for several years for urns and caskets with team logos. "Passionate fans express their love of their team in a number of different ways," she said.